


30. Questions

by love_write_edit_sleep



Series: Child's Play (DBH 31 Fic Challenge) [30]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-10 05:59:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15943208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Now Richard is his old self again, Gavin has questions. Richard also has a few questions.





	30. Questions

Richard hadn’t slept.

* * *

The journey home in the early hours of the morning had been quiet. 

Gavin, Connor and Matthew sat in the back seats, Connor in the middle with Matthew against his chest, and Gavin resting his head on his shoulder, all three of them asleep. Richard sat in the front with hank, twiddling his fingers.

“You anxious or something…?” Hank asked. Richard shook his head.

“I’m fine.”

“Tell that to your hands, you’re gonna need new ones if you don’t stop.” 

“I feel I could have handled this all better.” Richard confessed. Hank chuckled.

“That’s an understatement.”

“Hank-”

“Oi, what did I tell you?”

“Alright. Papa, did you all prefer me as a child?”

“What makes you say that…?” Hank asked.

“I was more popular as a child.” Richard muttered. Hank frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone was more eager to spend time with me.” 

“Oh, jesus… You felt lonely before, is that it?”

“I-”

“Look, kid, we all assumed you were a private person who didn’t like the idea of a family. There’s this thing called ‘talking about your emotions’, which you don’t know how to do.” Richard said nothing. “As a kid, you didn’t have that filter to hold back what you were feeling, right? So you just came out with it all.”

“I regret-”

“Shut it.” Hank snapped. “You and Gavin are both the same. You’re loud and proud, you believe emotions are a weakness, so you hide them. Gavin’s got an excuse, what’s yours?”

“I was designed to be a machine, to obey… I didn’t know a purpose other than that so I held onto it…”

“But you don’t have to, you know? We’re your family, we’re not gonna think any less of you for voicing your emotions.”

“I… was lonely, yes…” Richard whispered. “Gavin was always there… but Connor had such close bonds with all of you and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t have that too…”

“So instead of just asking me to pay more attention to you, you threw your life away for me?”

“That’s the jist of it, yes.”

“You’re a fucking idiot sometimes.” Hank chuckled. “That’s why you were so worried about transferring bodies.”

“I was worried things would return to the way they were before.”

“Things wouldn’t have been that way in the first place if you’d just said something, you know?” Hank offered a small smile. “We just thought you were being you…”

“I’m sorry, Han- Papa.”

“Don’t worry about it… Nothing’s gonna change now though, okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

Hank and Richard carried the ‘children’ inside, Richard putting Connor and Matthew in Connor’s bed, and Hank putting Gavin in the blanket nest that he’d made. Richard left Connor room and approached Gavin’s nest with a concerned expression.

“He should not have had to put up with me.”

“He’s your boyfriend, he’s gonna do whatever he has to for you.” Hank told him. “You okay out here?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Alright, goodnight, kid.” Hank whispered, pressing a kiss to Richard’s forehead before leaving to his own room. Once Hank was gone, Richard sat in front of the couch, his knees to his chest as he watched Gavin for a moment.

“You’re not asleep, are you?”

“No.” 

“Why?”

“Dunno.” Gavin rolled over, smiling as he faced Richard. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“I missed you, you know?”

“I was never gone.”

“I know, but you were… different. Not that it’s a bad thing. Just… I don’t know…” Gavin shrugged. “Did it feel weird? Being a kid?”

“It was… confusing at first. I wanted to do things and I didn’t understand why, until Matthew explained that they were usual for children, and necessary for development.”

“Like the imagination thing and wanting to cuddle?”

“Yes.”

“You were a really creative kid… Like, really creative.”

“I suppose it was a luxury I never had before. I must thank you for asking Elijah if I could keep it. I am… happy.”

“I’m sorry for being an asshole parent…”

“On the contrary, you made a lot of changes for me that you didn’t have to do. You swore considerably less and talked more about your own emotions, and you even emoted several times for my benefit, which I am grateful for.”

“Yeah, but… I was shit.”

“Not really.” Richard smiled. “You made me feel safe and happy. At the start… I did not expect to enjoy my experience as a child. I assumed you’d want nothing to do with me considering your stance on becoming a parent, but I was wrong. You even offered to allow me to stay a child…”

“Yeah, and then you threw your heart away!”

“I decided in that moment that what you said was proof enough that things wouldn’t change when I became an RK900 again. I threw it away so I couldn’t doubt myself and change my mind. I believe I made the right choice.”

“Yeah, well, next time just go into sleep mode, okay? The river’s fucking cold.”

“I did not ask you to jump after it.” Richard chuckled. “Gavin?”

“Yeah?”

“Where… Where is, um… Where is Kadie?”

“In the bag, you want her?”

“No.” 

“Liar.” Gavin smirked, reaching over and unzipping the bag. He pulled Kadie out and handed her to Richard, who took her carefully. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You can keep her, you know? I’m not gonna take her away or tease you about it. I mean, I sleep with Toby, you know that.”

“It is alright for me to keep her?” 

“Of course it is. Keep anything you want. We’ll sort out a charity bag in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Come here…” Gavin whispered, indicating to the nest. Richard crawled over to the bundle of blankets, nestling down next to Gavin. Gavin smiled, wrapping his arms around Richard and brushing the android’s hair back. “How come you never told me about CyberLife?”

“I… Don’t know what you mean.”

“About Connor saving the androids, but leaving you. You never mentioned it before.”

“It didn’t matter. Nothing would change what happened, and it wasn’t Connor’s fault.”

“No, but it still hurt you. You should have talked about it to someone… Ease the pain a bit…” Richard didn’t speak. “I heard what you said in the car. About being designed to obey. You’re wrong.”

“What?”

“Elijah said he designed you for me. To be my partner.”

“Partner as in… work?”

“Who knows. This is Elijah we’re talking about, so probably not.” Gavin chuckled. “But… You know…”

“So… my purpose was never to obey, it was to be with you?”

“No, God… If you don’t wanna be with me just go, I’m not forcing you to be with me-”

“I am not being forced.” Richard assured him quickly. “I love you, I would not lie about that.”

“Me neither.” Gavin smiled. “I love you too.”

“I appreciate your offer… to be my parent if I’d rather remain a child.”

“Yeah, well… I’d have you anyway I can get you.” Gavin shrugged. Richard smiled.

“Let’s hope I don’t decide to be a dog.”

“Android dogs, that’ll be the day.” Gavin chuckled. “So, um… When you were a kid, I told you I had a ring for you. Do you-?”

“Yes.” Richard whispered. “If you do.”

“Yeah, I do.” Gavin breathed. “Yeah. Um, hold on… Here.” Gavin fished the box out his pocket, opening it and handing it to Richard, who took it carefully.

“It’s beautiful, Gavin.”

“I’ve had that like, 3 months. Never felt like the right time, but I don’t wanna wait anymore, you know? After…”

“I know.” Richard smiled. Gavin took the ring out the box and slipped it onto Richard’s finger. “It fits.”

“Yeah, I measured your finger when you were in sleep-mode.”

“Ah. I did wonder what you were doing.” Richard chuckled. “Relaxing and sleep-mode are not the same thing.”

“Well, shit.” Gavin laughed, snuggling closer to Richard. “I missed this.”

“Me too.” Richard whispered. “Gavin?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you mad at me? For dying?”

“Nah, I’m past it now.” 

“Oh. Okay.”

“Now go to sleep.”

“Alright.”

* * *

_ “Jesus christ, you scared the shit outta me.” _

_ “Sorry, Hank.” _

_ “Rich, did you sleep at all last night?” _

_ “No. I was watching Gavin sleep.” _

_ “That’s not creepy at all. How’re you feeling?” _

_ “Better. Thank you.” _

_ “Good… Just, let us know if you need anything, okay?” _

_ “I will. Thank you, Papa.” _

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of people are asking already what's happening after these fics.
> 
> This is gonna be the last I do for this series, so the next fic will be an epilogue and ending.   
> I'm not gonna start another 31 Fic Challenge just yet. I wanna focus on DBH drabbles (Most of which will likely include Matthew) and possibly some fic requests.
> 
> I have an idea for my next 31 Fic Challenge: A high-school AU, but I haven't decided on the pairings. I was thinking Matthew/Gavin, Connor/Daniel, Richard/Leo, Marcus/Simon, and Jerry/Ralph, but I'm not sure. I may not write this, depending on how I feel about it.
> 
> Thank you all for reading my fics, for your kudos and comments, for your subscriptions and bookmarks, and for your patience! It means a lot to me that you read my fics! Thank you so much!  
> I'll try and get the epilogue posted tonight!


End file.
